Red Sox, Mets Are Favorites In Blockbuster Trade For Superstar Pitcher, Per Insider

A little competition never hurt anybody...

Sep 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox know their objective for this winter: land a clear number-one starting pitcher.

Unfortunately, a lot of other Major League Baseball teams have the same goal every winter. Pitching is becoming a more valuable commodity than ever before, and whether they find it through free agency or trades, the Red Sox will have to pay a steep price for the arm they want.

If they do go the trade route, there seems to be an obvious top target for Boston at this point: Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet. After breaking out and becoming a first-time All-Star in 2024, Crochet is likely to be dealt thanks to his team losing a ridiculous 121 games this year, more than any team in MLB history.

One insider believes the Red Sox have a good shot to land Crochet, but that there's also an intimidating big-market team standing in their way. Buster Olney of ESPN named the Red Sox and New York Mets as the two favorites to land Crochet in a blockbuster deal on the Baseball Tonight podcast.

“I think it’s a slam dunk he’s going to be traded, and the two teams I’m watching are the Mets and the Red Sox," Olney said.

Crochet, 25, still comes with question marks, seeing as 2024 was his first season as a full-time starter and he only made it through half a season on a full workload. But he also struck out 209 batters (only 19 less than the major-league leader) despite pitching only 146 innings.

Competing against the Mets in the trade market may not be as difficult as competing against them in free agency, but New York still has plenty of top hitting prospects to attach to trade proposals, thanks to their savvy sell-off at the 2023 trade deadline. Plus, David Stearns is a savvy executive who has made lots of wise trades both as a buyer and a seller.

Boston will have to act decisively and be prepared to lose something of value if they want Crochet in a Red Sox uniform in 2025. Because if they don't get him now, it appears somebody else will soon.

More MLB: Red Sox Predicted To Sign Beloved Phillies All-Star To $44M Blockbuster Deal